White Helmets (Syria)

28 November 2017

I’ve just partially recovered after watching probably the most harrowing documentary in…

I don’t…

Volunteers.

“THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE IN THE WORLD

When the bombs rain down, the Syrian Civil Defence rushes in. In a place where public services no longer function these unarmed volunteers risk their lives to help anyone in need - regardless of their religion or politics. Known as the White Helmets these volunteer rescue workers operate in the most dangerous place on earth.”

Yeah, ok, at this time of year, at any time of year, it’s easy to spread oneself too thinly, to try to think about supporting every worthy cause. It’s easier to pick none in the vain hope something great will present itself. Paralysis.

It’s easier still to say we shouldn’t bother, we should look after our own first. That’s true, of course it is. One day, far in the future, we’ll have a government who distributes our world’s-6th-richest-nation’s wealth in an equitable manner. Until then, cue more bitterness and division.

I worked with someone for more years than I care to remember. Nice guy, always had time for me. It turns out that, at least on social sites, he’s racist, xenophobic and a bigot, without a shred of understanding of the realities of modern world; a man who purports to care about ‘people’ yet simultaneously wants to see us spend more money travelling around the world and killing people who aren’t ‘us’.

Sweeping aside the ‘on social media’ thing, the man’s simply a racist, xenophobic bigot. Politicians pandering to people like him simply to get more votes are why barrel bombs continue to be dropped on families in Syria.